Bridge Camera?

tidusjar · 23 Jan 2013 at 08:43

Looking to buy a camera, light use but It's going to be a small hobby I guess so I dont want to shed out the cash for a dSLR, so I thought a bridge camera would be great.

Any decent bridge cameras you can recommend? (Without breaking the bank) around £100? or is this too low?

a1ex2001 · 23 Jan 2013 at 08:58

for your budget I'd track down a second hand Canon s95 not a bridge but a good quality enthusiasts compact that will let you experiment.

tidusjar · 23 Jan 2013 at 09:12

a1ex2001 said:
for your budget I'd track down a second hand Canon s95 not a bridge but a good quality enthusiasts compact that will let you experiment.

I can go higher, but why not a bridge? I don't see the downside for what I want to use it for?

Ksanti · 23 Jan 2013 at 12:33

^^ Tiny sensor, slow lens, appaling image quality and rubbish in low light. Need I go on?

tidusjar · 23 Jan 2013 at 15:55

Ksanti said:
^^ Tiny sensor, slow lens, appaling image quality and rubbish in low light. Need I go on?

Are they really that bad? I thought they was better than compact cameras? (Photography noobie here)

D.P. · 23 Jan 2013 at 16:11

tidusjar said:
I can go higher, but why not a bridge? I don't see the downside for what I want to use it for?

Tiny sensor, terrible lens. There are far better fixed lens alternatives put there.

D.P. · 23 Jan 2013 at 16:13

tidusjar said:
Are they really that bad? I thought they was better than compact cameras? (Photography noobie here)

They use the same sensors as the cheapest co pact cameras, but high end compacts like the canons100, Panasonic lx7 etc have larger and better sensors with better lenses.

Bridge cameras are best avoided really. The only exception being if you absolutely must have a gigantic zoom range in a small body and you don't care about image quality.

tidusjar · 23 Jan 2013 at 16:55

D.P. said:
They use the same sensors as the cheapest co pact cameras, but high end compacts like the canons100, Panasonic lx7 etc have larger and better sensors with better lenses.

Bridge cameras are best avoided really. The only exception being if you absolutely must have a gigantic zoom range in a small body and you don't care about image quality.

Ok then!

dSLR maybe then...

Ksanti · 23 Jan 2013 at 17:14

Not for £100 you won't. It's gonna have to be a compact I'm afraid. No DSLRs that you can get setups for £100 with will be remotely usable.

D.P. · 23 Jan 2013 at 17:26

tidusjar said:
Ok then!

dSLR maybe then...

You have several choices of camera body. You need to think about what you want to shoot, what you max budget is and how you will use your camer (do you want something that fits in a shirt pocket, jacket pocket or needs a dedicated camera bag/rucsack?).

Options include:
1) High-end prosumer compact like Canon s95/s100, panasonic LX7, Olympus ZX-1/2. (also some samsung models). These have better image quality than entry level compacts with a bigger sensor and better glass, offer full manual control if you want. Small, but not shirt pocket size except S95/S100. Not much zoom rnage.

2) Expensive fixed lens large sensor Camera, Sony RX100 is the popular one, very pricy, great IQ, good lens. small for the camera that it offers but jacket pocket sized. Fuji have several option here.

3) Compact System Cameras, mirrorless inter changeable lens cameras like Nikon 1 system Sony Nex and Micro four thirds. Slightly larger bodies, ability to swap lenses. Bigger sensors, even up to DSLR (APS-C crop) sized. Within this category there is a huge amount of choice. Nikon 1 has the best autofocus, most compact, fast, but smallest sensor limits resolution and high ISO noise. Modern MFT/m43 cameras like Olympus PEN series, Panasonic GH3 etc. The newest Olympus m43 have a great Sony sensor. Best choice of lenses available for such compact system cameras. The Sony Nex cameras have the best sensor and image quality of all these but lens selection is limited and as soon as you ant a lens within good reach it ends up very big.

4) Cheap DSLR, probably the best value you an get right now is the Nikon D5100. Bugger body, better to handle, good IQ but not necessarily better than Sony NEX. Best selection of lenses and upgrade options. Of course thee are pkenty of other cheap DSLRS, and you might want to look second hand. a 2nd hand Nikon D90 is a good shout. On the canon side canon really hasn't progressed much in a long time with their sensor and bodies so the older bodies like Canon 450D end up a bargain and give you 90% of the a modern Canon entry level for a third of the price.

ShakenNstirred · 23 Jan 2013 at 17:45

Ksanti said:
^^ Tiny sensor, slow lens, appaling image quality and rubbish in low light. Need I go on?

not my experience with using a bridge cam to be honest.
yes low light isn't great but it doesn't make the pictures unusable, IQ was not appalling.
my Panasonic FZ48 took really nice pics

An Exception · 23 Jan 2013 at 18:15

Bridge camera's are sheep in wolfs clothing. They are on the market to trick and deceive un-informed consumers out of money by pretending to be DSLR's.
Consumers assume a larger camera will take better quality pics, yet they end up with low end compact performance.
The truth is, someone would be much better off with a high end compact than one of these wannabe DSLR's.

lukechad · 24 Jan 2013 at 21:00

I'd either save a bit harder and get an entry level DSLR, (I sold my 1000D with 18-55 for less than £180 recently) or get a more advanced compact.

Bridge cameras are just trying to mimic a DSLR making the user feel they are holding a better, more professional camera, they seem to focus a massive zoom range which you just dont need, 90% of my photography is done in the range of my kit 18-55, using a couple of prime (fixed zoom) lenses, I have a big zoom lens but its not used half as much.

warren_1979 · 26 Jan 2013 at 12:49

I am in a similar predicament. I just want a decent entry level camera to learn the basics on.

I was recommended a canon sx220 and it sure looks sweet for £99 brand new.

I'm wondering how would the Canon S95 compare to the Canon sx220?

Sonea Fifer · 26 Jan 2013 at 20:52

I just bought myself one of these.

It's "almost" in your budget OP and I've found it quite a good camera so far for allowing me to learn the basics on. I do agree with the above comments on the unusable "mega zoom" these cameras offer. Yes I can zoom in so much further than my friend can with his Nikon D5000 but zoomed in I'll need to borrow his tripod if I'm to take a picture that doesn't have motion blur in it and I'm sacrificing picture quality for it! I still maintain my Samsung is good value for money though and it's a excellent camera to teach you the basics.

ShakenNstirred · 26 Jan 2013 at 21:42

warren_1979 said:
I am in a similar predicament. I just want a decent entry level camera to learn the basics on.

I was recommended a canon sx220 and it sure looks sweet for £99 brand new.

I'm wondering how would the Canon S95 compare to the Canon sx220?

the S95 is a better camera
but having said that I have a sx230(same as the 220 with gps)
good little camera